9mm Full Metal Jacket Ammo: Most Commonly Asked Questions – Answered

Apparently, there are a lot of questions floating around out there about 9mm full metal jacket ammo.

While to some of us, the answers to these questions might seem obvious or even self-evident, there’s enough volume for them that they show up on the first page of the Google search results.

So buckle up.

What Does 9mm Full Metal Jacket Mean?

9mm full metal jacket ammo is typically made of a bullet with a soft core, commonly a lead alloy, and encased in a jacket of harder metal.

Common alloys used for the jacket include cupronickel (an alloy with high copper and nickel content) or gilding metal (a brass alloy, containing copper and zinc).

Often you will see full metal jacket ammo labeled as FMJ.

How Is a Full Metal Jacket Bullet Made?

The core of an FMJ bullet, which is usually made of soft lead, is drawn into wire. Then it is swaged into the proper dimensions for the bullet, according to caliber.

The jacket is made of a copper cup, which is depressed to accept the dimensions of the core.

The core is placed in the copper cup and then the entire bullet is run through a swaging die or a series of swaging dies that force it into the right size and shape.

This is often a multi-step process, with the first one being to properly seat the core in the copper cup, and the next to form the jacket into the right shape, forming the nose of the bullet as necessary.

If you ever see a full-metal jacket bullet removed from the case, you will notice that the open end of the cup gets drawn around the base of the bullet; you can often see the exposed lead core underneath.

What Is Full Metal Jacket Ammo Used for?

Full metal jacket ammo is designed for stability in flight and to offer a stable trajectory. It is also designed not to lose its shape easily on contact with a soft target and offers controlled recoil.

This makes full metal jacket ammo optimal where superior penetration characteristics are designed.

However, because it is so stable, even at greater distances, and resists wind deflection well, 9mm full metal jacket ammo is highly suitable for training purposes and target practice.

FMJ ammo also typically comes in at a low price, making it suitable for high-volume target shooting and competition.

Is Full Metal Jacket Ammo Good for Hunting or Defensive Applications?

Full metal jacket is not suitable for hunting or for defensive applications and should be reserved for training, competition shooting, and other high-volume shooting applications.

This is because 9mm FMJ ammo is designed to penetrate, not transfer energy effectively. As a result, 9mm full metal jacket ammo presents an overpenetration risk when used defensively; if used for hunting, it is unlikely to result in a clean, ethical kill.

Other types of bullets, such as hollow-point bullets, soft-point or ballistic-point bullets, are much more suitable for hunting or defensive applications. There may even be laws in your area against the use of jacketed bullets for sporting applications so be aware of that.

Can You Buy 9mm Full Metal Jacket Ammo?

Not only can you buy 9mm full metal jacket ammo, but it is among the most in-demand types of ammo on the market and every single major ammunition manufacturer that produces 9mm ammo produces jacketed rounds – some in several lines.

You can also buy it online if you know where to look. If you want to save some money on 9mm Luger and look at weekly specials and police trade-in deals, check out Bucking Horse Outpost via the previous link.

They carry a wide range of 9mm ammo, including Federal American Eagle, CCI Blazer, Ammo Inc., TulAmmo, and others, all at great prices.